News | February 2, 2026
ECE Department Alumni Reception in San Francisco on February 17th
UCLA’s ECE department will be hosting an Alumni Reception at the ISSCC Conference in San Francisco on Feb 17 from 5:30-7:30pm. Join us for this opportunity to reconnect with our valued alumni through open discussions with current faculty and students.
Please RSVP.
Nature Sensors Reports on Professor Ozcan’s AI Intelligent Sensing Research
Nature Sensors reported on Professor Ozcan’s research on intelligent sensing using AI in their inaugural issue. From wearable health monitors to autonomous robots, AI is reshaping how sensors collect, interpret, and act on data, with co-design and benchmarking key to their success.
Please see the paper.
Jarrahi and Ozcan Lab Publish Paper on the Detection of Concealed Explosives using Terahertz Spectral Imaging and Deep Learning
Professors Mona Jarrahi and Aydogan Ozcan recently published a paper on the detection of concealed explosives using terahertz spectral imaging and deep learning. Detecting concealed chemicals and explosives remains a critical challenge in global security. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) offers a promising non-invasive and stand-off detection technique owing to its ability to penetrate optically opaque materials without causing ionization damage. While many chemicals exhibit distinct spectral features in the terahertz range, conventional terahertz-based detection methods often struggle in real-world environments, where variations in sample geometry, thickness, and packaging can lead to inconsistent spectral responses. In the paper, the researchers present a chemical imaging system that integrates THz-TDS with deep learning to enable accurate pixel-level identification and classification of different explosives.
Please see the paper and news release.
Daily Bruin Reports on Ozcan’s Optical AI Model
The Daily Bruin reported on Professor Ozcan’s optical AI model, which offers an energy-efficient generative AI alternative.
Please see the article.
Awards
Professors Benjamin Williams and Richard Wesel Selected to Receive the Distinguished Engineering Educator Award
Professors Benjamin Williams and Richard Wesel have been selected to receive the Distinguished Engineering Educator Award from the Engineers’ Council for their outstanding contributions to engineering education, mentorship and leadership. The award honors individuals with an exceptional professional reputation who have made a lasting impact on students’ academic and extracurricular development, as well as significant contributions to research and the broader engineering community throughout their careers.
Founded in 1955, The Engineers’ Council is a non-profit professional society focused on the continual advancement of science and engineering education while also encouraging students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Events/Seminars
Upcoming PHD Defenses
Student Organizations
Invitation to Mentor: Connect with the Next Generation of UCLA ECE Students
The UCLA chapter of Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) is launching its Winter Mentorship Program and is looking for alumni to help bridge the gap between academic life and industry reality.
We are seeking former UCLA engineering graduates to:
- Provide 1:1 advice to current students.
- Share insights on current industry trends.
- Help students understand what it takes to thrive in the field today.
We are also planning an in-person get-together for mentors and mentees in the Spring (food provided!) to help build community and connect face-to-face.
Whether you are working in hardware, software, or research, your experience is invaluable to the next generation of Bruins.
How to Join:
If you are willing to mentor a student this Winter Quarter, please fill out this brief form.
Job Opportunities
Ultraintense Lasers and High Field Photonics REU
The Ultraintense Lasers and High Field Photonics Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program is currently accepting applications for Summer 2026. Students accepted to this 10-week REU program will conduct hands-on research at either Colorado State University or University of California, Berkeley. Since 2003, the Engineering Research Center at CSU and UCB has hosted over 350 undergraduate students.
Why should you apply?
- Ground-breaking research– By applying for this research experience, you have the chance to be mentored by world-class faculty and researchers who work every day to advance the science that runs our world. As an REU intern in our labs, you could play a role in the newest groundbreaking laser technology, which has applications from the generation of clean, virtually limitless energy to the fabrication of microchips that drive the future of data storage and artificial intelligence. Our research projects are technically and scientifically challenging and highly interdisciplinary, combining engineering, chemistry, physics, and materials science.
- Industry partnerships– We have partnered with four of the top companies in the field, ASML, Marvel Fusion, Xcimer Energy, and ThorLabs, to offer current undergraduate students who complete a summer of research in our program the opportunity to complete a Second Summer Experience paid internship in industry. CSU is also partnering with Marvel Fusion to build a $150 million next-generation fusion energy research facility.
- Career development– Summer REU interns from our program have been accepted into some of the top graduate schools in the nation, published journal papers as first authors from their REU research, and become mentors themselves in the REU program. Graduate students and postdocs from our labs have also gone on to hold leadership positions at many leading employers in the field.
- Outstanding location– Don’t forget the amazing settings where this research takes place: Fort Collins, Colorado, and Berkeley, California. Both sites are situated in regional technology hubs and offer endless opportunities for weekend adventures.
Benefits
- $7000 stipend
- Room and board
- Up to $600 towards travel
Questions? Contact the REU Program Coordinator Alauna Sutton at Alauna.sutton@colostate.edu
Ready to apply? Visit: https://lasers.colostate.edu/research-experience-for-undergraduate-students/
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) Hiring for Assistant Professor Positions
The Department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) at California State University, Long Beach invites applications for three tenure-track Assistant Professor positions in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, or closely related areas, beginning August 17, 2026.
Application Submission and Deadline
For full position descriptions and the application portal, please visit:
- Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity
- Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering
- Assistant Professor of Software Engineering
Review of applications will begin January 20, 2026, and the position will remain open until filled or recruitment is canceled.
Cellular SOC Design Verification Engineer – Entry Level at Apple
Do you have a passion for invention and self-challenge? This position gives you an opportunity to be a part of one of the most cutting edge and key projects that Apple’s Silicon Engineering Group has embarked upon to-date. As a Design Verification Engineer on our team, you’ll be at the center of the verification effort within our silicon design group responsible for crafting and productizing state-of-the-art Cellular SoCs!
You will have the opportunity to contribute to the verification effort of a set of complex SOCs delivering the Cellular solution. You will integrate multiple sophisticated IP level DV environments, craft highly reusable best-in-class UVM based test bench, implement effective coverage driven and directed test suites, deploy new tools and methodologies to deliver chips that are right-first-time. By collaborating with other product development groups across Apple, you can push the industry boundaries of what cellular systems can do and improve the product experience for our customers across the world!
Minimum Qualifications:
BS in EE or CS is required
Object Oriented Programming
Coursework in Digital Design
Preferred Qualifications:
MS in EE or CS
Coursework in Computer Architecture, Networking Protocol
Should be a great teammate with excellent communication and problem-solving skills and the
desire to seek diverse challenges.
Programming experience in SystemVerilog, Python, C++
Application details:
- Candidates must be graduating this December
- Please include your current GPA with your resume
- Please send resume directly to Junhui Lou at j_lou@apple.com
Carnegie Mellon University – ECE Faulty Position
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University invites applications for tenure-track, research-track, and teaching-track faculty positions at all ranks on our Pittsburgh campus. Although we welcome applicants in all areas of ECE, this year we are particularly interested in candidates whose research focuses on machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Our top-ranked department offers a highly collaborative environment, world-class research infrastructure, and strong support for interdisciplinary scholarship. Applicants should hold a PhD in a relevant field. Application review will begin shortly and will continue until the positions are filled.
Faculty application link: https://apply.interfolio.com/174597
When applying, please also email Andrea Zanette at zanette@cmu.edu
Hiring PhD Interns/FTE for Training and Inference of Foundation Models in AWS Neuron Science
From Amazon Web Services Neuron Science:
Our team in AWS AI Research is looking for a couple of PhD FTE/interns passionate about advancing fundamental research in foundation models. Our algorithm team focuses on developing innovative solutions in the topic of Algorithm-System for LLMs (efficient model design, training, inference) LLM-for-System (LLMs and agents that write optimized kernels). These efforts require both a strong theoretical foundation and a practical understanding of topics such as foundation modeling, distributed optimization, model compression, and machine learning systems. We work closely with system researchers to ensure our algorithmic solutions are compatible with system and hardware constraints, training and testing end2end in accuracy and speed. At the same time, the algorithmic innovation we bring can contribute improving systems and future hardware feature to incorporate.
Basic Qualifications
- Hands-on experience with large language models (LLMs), including:
- Model architecture, datasets, evaluation metrics, and pre-/post-training techniques
- Distributed training techniques, such as parallelism, mixed-precision methods, optimizers, stochastic rounding, and IO-aware training
- Compression and inference strategies, including pruning, quantization, and speculative decoding
- Post-training of SFT and RL to enhance reasoning capability
- Leveraging LLM to improve ML system and kernel programming
- Eager to learn effective system kernel implementation if needed
- Enrolled PhD student in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field
- First authored papers in top venues like NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML.
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong theoretical background, such as distributed optimization, compression, or RL
- Strong hands-on experience on pre-training (e.g., low-precision training) or post-training (e.g., SFT, RLHF, GRPO)
- Proven experience with foundation models, including LLMs, multi-modal models
- Experience in establishing scaling laws for training and inference time-scaling
- Knowledge of distributed systems and experience developing low-level, high-performant kernels
Selected Publications
This year, our team has published multiple papers that bridge the gap between theory and practice in LLM research. We also actively collaborate with system and hardware engineers across the AWS organization to deliver tutorials. Below is a list of recent publications:
- [Under review] MuonBP: Faster Muon via Block-Periodic Orthogonalization Arxiv
- [Under review] Scaling Laws Meet Model Architecture: Toward Inference-Efficient LLMs Arxiv
- [Under review] TritonRL: Training LLMs to Think and Code Triton Without Cheating Arxiv
- [Under review] Demystifying Transition Matching: When and Why It Can Beat Flow Matching Arxiv
- [Under review] Not-a-Bandit: Provably No-Regret Drafter Selection in Speculative Decoding for LLMs Arxiv
- [IJCAI 2025] Tutorial: Scaling LLM Training: Efficient Pre-training & Fine-tuning on AI Accelerators
- [AISTATS 2025] Training LLMs with MXFP4 Paper
- [AISTATS 2025] Stochastic Rounding for LLM Training: Theory and Practice Paper
- [ICML 2025] ProxSparse – Regularized Learning of Semi-Structured Sparsity Masks for Pretrained LLMs Paper
- [ICML 2025] RoSTE – An Efficient Quantization-Aware Supervised Fine-Tuning Approach Paper
- [ICML 2025] WaveletToken – Enhancing Foundation Models for Time Series Forecasting via Wavelet-based Tokenization Paper
- [ICML 2024] Collage: Light-Weight Low-Precision Strategy for LLM Training Paper
- [ICML 2024] Variance-reduced Zeroth-Order Methods for Fine-Tuning Language Models Paper
- [ICML 2024] MADA: Meta-Adaptive Optimizers through Hyper-gradient Descent Paper
- [ICML 2024] EMC^2: Efficient MCMC Negative Sampling for Contrastive Learning with Global Convergence Paper
- [NeurIPS 2024] Posterior Sampling with a Diffusion Prior for Online Learning Paper
- [IEEE BigData 2024] HLAT: High-quality Large Language Model Pre-trained on AWS Trainium Paper
- [KDD 2024] Survey: Inference Optimization of Foundation Models on AI Accelerators Paper
- [KDD 2024] Tutorial: Inference Optimization of Foundation Models for AI Accelerators
- [KDD 2023] Tutorial: Training Large-scale Foundation Models on Emerging AI Chips
We also collaborate more system-oriented topics like publications below
- [MLSys 2025] Marconi: Prefix Caching for the Era of Hybrid LLM Paper
- [MLSys 2025] ScaleFusion: Scalable Inference of Spatial-Temporal Diffusion Transformers for High-Resolution Long Video Generation Paper
- [MLSys 2025] FastTree: Optimizing Attention Kernel and Runtime for Tree-Structured LLM Inference Paper
If you are excited to push the boundaries of foundation model research and make impactful contributions, we would love to hear from you! We also constantly hire full-time PhDs. Please send your CV to Youngsuk Park pyoungsu@amazon.com | youngsuk@cs.stanford.edu (cc Kaan Ozkara kaanozka@amazon.com) with a short paragraph of your interest.
TSMC Global Summer Internship Program
Postdoctoral Researcher: Modeling and Stability Analysis for Modern Power Systems
Please see this link for more information regarding this position.
Researcher II/III: EMT Modeling, Simulation and Analysis for Large-Scale Power Systems
Please see this link for more information regarding this position.
Part time Project with Professor Pirouz Kavehpour
We’re seeking an expert developer for a project‑based engagement (not hourly) to build and optimize scalable applications, deploy on Azure Cloud, and integrate GPU‑accelerated embedding software. This role requires deep technical expertise, independence, and the ability to deliver high‑quality solutions within defined project milestones.
What You’ll Work On
- GPU Embedding Service (Containerized)—FastAPI (Python), ML/embeddings, Docker + NVIDIA Container Toolkit, Azure GPU (VM/AKS/ACI), CI/CD with Azure Container Registry (ACR).
- Triage Pipeline with DB & Integrations—Node.js/TypeScript (workers/cron), PostgreSQL (SQL, locks), REST API integration, Azure services (Blob, AI Search, Webhooks).
- Website Integration & Admin UI—Next.js 15 (App Router, API routes, Server Actions), TypeScript + React, PostgreSQL queries, UI/UX for job tables & status.
Requirements
- Expertise in Next.js 15, Node.js, TypeScript, React, and PostgreSQL.
- Hands‑on experience deploying to Azure (preferably using ACR, AKS/ACI, Web Apps, andmanaged services).
- Proficiency with containerized GPU workflows (Docker, NVIDIA Container Toolkit).
- Strong understanding of REST APIs, background workers/cron, SQL performance (indexes,
locks), and secure auth patterns. - Track record of independently delivering production‑grade solutions on schedule and tospec.
Nice to Have
- FastAPI and Python ML/embeddings experience.
- Azure AI Search, Blob, and Webhooks integrations.
- CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or Azure DevOps).
- Admin UI/Design System experience for operational dashboards.
How We Work
Project‑based milestones, clear acceptance criteria, frequent check‑ins, and code reviews.
We value pragmatic engineering, performance, and maintainability.
Send your information to: Prof. Pirouz Kavehpour—Pirouz@seas.ucla.edu
The University of Alabama is in search of Professors
If you are completing your PhD this year (or who have recently graduated) that are interested in opportunities to continue your research careers on the tenure track, the University of Alabama is in search of an assistant professor.
The search is currently active and they’ll begin reviewing applications received through the online submission system in the next few weeks.
They are also recruiting at the Associate and Full Professor levels. Those links with further details are below:
Electrical and Computer Engineering – Professor – 527632 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States
Electrical/Computer Engineering Intern at Sophia Space
A well-funded deep-tech startup in Pasadena is seeking Electrical/Computer Engineering Interns to help develop its AI-powered product prototypes. The interns are expected to blend electronics hardware and embedded software to build groundbreaking AI infrastructure in space. Roles are available full-time or part-time starting immediately, with the option to continue part-time (~10–15 hrs/week) during the academic year.
Please see this link for more information regarding this position.
Engineer or Project Manager at DMF Lighting
DMF Lighting designs and builds industry-leading LED downlighting that sets the standard for flexibility, performance, and quality. Founded over 30 years ago, DMF has grown into a leader in the lighting industry, driven by a passion for innovation and customer service.
Our in-house engineers constantly push the boundaries of lighting, delivering products that combine exceptional performance with beautiful design. At DMF, we believe in a collaborative, forward-thinking culture that empowers our team to bring creative ideas to life and make a lasting impact. If you’re looking for a company where creativity and innovation are part of the DNA, DMF is the place for you.
We currently have the following openings available:
Electrical Engineer, Sr. Electrical Engineer, Embedded Firmware Engineer, Mechanical Engineer I, Mechanical Engineer, Project Manager
Website: www.dmflighting.com
Please see this link for more information regarding these positions.
Contact: Helen Portillo, Human Resources Generalist at HPortillo@dmflighting.com
Newsletter Submissions
To be included in future newsletters, please send the latest news, awards, publications and any upcoming PhD oral defenses to the Chair’s assistant, Winda Mak, at wmak@seas.ucla.edu. Please include “newsletter submission” in the subject line. The ECE newsletters will be sent bimonthly on the first and third Mondays of the month. Please ensure all submissions are received by the Wednesday before distribution to be included in the newsletter.